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Longtime New England Patriots captain Matthew Slater has all the confidence in the world for cemented starting quarterback Mac Jones.
The Patriots made it all the more clear of Jones’ status amid the release of backups Bailey Zappe, Malik Cunningham, and Trace McSorley. While New England re-signed Zappe and Cunningham to the practice squad on Wednesday, August 30, the moves left no doubt about Jones as the guy under center.
“Obviously, Mac is our quarterback. We’ve got a lot of belief in him,” Slater told reporters on Tuesday, August 29. “We support him.”
“But Mac’s done a tremendous job of working and improving in all facets on the field and off the field. We all have a great deal of confidence in him moving forward,” Slater added.
New England selected Jones with the No. 15 in the 2021 NFL Draft. He shined as a rookie with 3,801 yards passing for 22 touchdowns versus 13 interceptions, but he dipped to 2,997 yards and 14 touchdowns versus 11 picks in 2022.
Patriots TE Mike Gesicki Believes in Mac Jones
Patriots tight end Mike Gesicki, who signed with the team this year, believes Jones will shine again. Gesicki spent the past five seasons with the Miami Dolphins.
“He makes it fun to go out there and play,” Gesicki told the media on Tuesday. “We’re always joking around, but when it’s time to lock in, he’s leading the offense and has done a great job.
“He throws a really catchable ball, has really good timing and understands concepts, spacing and routes. He understands when guys are getting ready to break based off of leverage and all that kind of stuff. It’s been awesome going through training camp with him,” Gesicki added.
Gesicki gives Jones an additional pass-catching threat in the offense, which could help Jones bounce back from a rough 2022. Last season, Gesicki caught 32 passes for 362 yards for five touchdowns, but he had 50 or more receptions and 700 or more yards and eight touchdowns overall in the previous two seasons.
Patriots’ Matthew Slater Confident in Bailey Zappe’s Future
Slater, who saw Zappe ignite the Patriots in two starts last season, believes Zappe has a bright future ahead despite subpar preseason.
“I know [Zappe] will land on his feet and do a great job,” Slater said on Tuesday regarding the initial release. “And I also trust that coach [Bill Belichick] is doing what’s in the best interest of the football team and putting us in the best position to have success. So, you know, mixed emotions on that. I love Bailey, he knows how I feel about him. He’s one of my favorite kids of all time.”
Zappe impressed the Patriots fan base last season with a 2-0 record as a starter. He completed 70.7% of his passes for 781 yards for five touchdowns versus three interceptions.
New England could move Zappe up to the 53-man roster when needed. The Patriots only have one quarterback in Jones on the active roster at the moment.
A former Western Kentucky star, the Patriots drafted Zappe in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
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